More information has come to light regarding the mysterious attacks perpetrated against American diplomats working at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba: 21 individuals have now been affected by what appears to be a series of attacks employing a covert sonic weapon. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced that they are considering closing the embassy in response to the incidents, a move that could severely damage recently renewed diplomatic ties between Cuba and the U.S.
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The one-two punch delivered by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma has left the southern United States and many islands in the northern Caribbean reeling, collectively resulting in more than 130 deaths, massive long-term flooding, and property damage totaling to a minimum of $132 billion — a number expected to climb dramatically as the aftermath of Irma’s rampage is assessed.

The first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in 12 years, Harvey was also the wettest tropical hurricane on record in the contiguous United States., dumping 51.88 inches (1,31.8 centimeters) — four and one-third feet — of rainfall. The resulting flooding inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displacing more than 30,000 people.
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The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has eliminated virtually all references to climate change on its website, according to a report from the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative, published on August 20. Similar removals were made earlier this year to the official pages of the EPA and the White House, in line with the climate-change denial policies espoused by the Trump administration.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is calling for a warm autumn in the United States, forecasting above average temperatures for August, September and October. In addition, an above average amount of rain is also forecast for portions of Alaska and the U.S. Southwest and South, with the Pacific Northwest seeing less precipitation than usual.

"You can see that across the entire United States, including Alaska, there is more of a chance that temperatures will be above normal," according to meteorologist Dan Collins, with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center-Operational Prediction Branch.
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